A latching mechanism or system is typically configured to include a latching or locking element, for example, a clevis, pin or bolt, which is engageable to a receiver on the member being engaged. The latching mechanism may be attached to a first member and the receiver may be attached to a second member such that the engagement of the latching element to the striker provides a latching force to latch the first member to the second member. The latching force provided by the engagement of the striker and the latching element must be sufficient to latch the first member to the second member under nominal or ordinary loading conditions. The latching mechanism, clevis or receiver may be subject to higher loading conditions, e.g., in excess of nominal loading conditions, which may be experienced, for example, during an impact event. These higher loading conditions may require that the latching system be configured to provide a latching force responsive to the higher loading conditions by, for example, increasing the size and strength of the latching elements, which may result in a latching system characterized by increased cost, weight and size, and increased packaging space requirements.
The first member and second member may be a vehicle door and a portion of the vehicle body, respectively, such that the vehicle door latches to the portion of the vehicle body, such as a door frame or body pillar. In vehicles having adjacent front and rear doors with opposing hinges, the first member and the second member may be the front door and rear door, respectively, such that the front and rear doors latch to each other. Vehicles having front and rear doors with opposing hinges on the same side of the vehicle and with no body pillar between the doors are typically designed so that the doors latch to one another, and are thus “dependent”. That is, one vehicle door, usually the front door, must be unlatched from the rear door and opened before the rear door can be opened, and the rear door must then be closed before the front door can be closed. The doors are dependent so that one door can latch to the other door when the doors are closed, because there is no body pillar between the doors that the doors could otherwise latch to and be operated independently. In either configuration, elements of the latching mechanism may be visible and/or protrude from the door closing surface. The latching mechanism of the vehicle door may be subject to higher loading conditions, e.g., in excess of nominal loading conditions, which may be experienced, for example, during an impact event, requiring that the latching system be configured to provide a latching force responsive to the higher loading conditions, as previously discussed.